The Coffee Cup Fuel Stop near Summit, South Dakota knows firsthand the support the Cancer Center can provide patients. A coworker, Val Moen, is a breast cancer survivor and has inspired many locals and travelers.
Val Moen is a beacon of good spirits to all who’ve been affected by cancer. She wears a cap adorned with a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon to work each day. “Strangers tell me their story or wish me well. Some of the stories make me realize just how lucky I am,” said Val.
Val’s good spirits have made travelers, locals, and staff at Caribou Coffee inside the Coffee Cup Fuel Stop passionate to help cancer patients. To warm patients’ spirits during these cold days Caribou Coffee held a fundraiser. Customers could donate a bag of coffee in Val’s name and in return they received a $5 beverage coupon. Caribou Coffee raised 37 pounds of coffee for the patients at Prairie Lakes Cancer Center. A good cup of coffee can make a day of treatment just a bit better.
The Coffee Cup Fuel Stop supported Val from the beginning, when after a routine mammogram doctors performed a biopsy. At first Val convinced herself it would come back negative because she has no family history. But during the days she waited for the results she kept receiving signs, or as Val calls them “God Winks”. “My mom gave me a stack of magazines to read and every page I opened to was an article or ad about breast cancer,” she said. “When I received the news I was prepared because I felt I had been sent a message.”
Over 85% of women who get breast cancer are like Val and do not have family history of the disease according to the American Cancer Society. After two surgeries and chemotherapy, Val received care closer to home from the Prairie Lakes Cancer Center for radiation therapy with Dr. Brindle. “It’s amazing that the machine (TomoTherapy) can pin point the exact spot where the cancer is. In my case, with my genes, the chemo and radiation made my chance of cancer returning to just 7%.”
Val uses her experience to inspire her friends, family, and coworkers to go in for their routine mammogram. “My tumor was only pea sized. There’s no way the cancer would have been detected without a mammogram,” said Val. A pink ribbon is a reminder of the continuous battle of breast cancer. You can find Val wearing her pink ribbon hat; serving people a warm welcome and inspiration at the Coffee Cup Fuel Stop.